Overview
- Speaking at the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka, the seniormost Indian judge outlined his vision in a lecture titled “The Living Constitution: How the Indian Judiciary Shapes and Safeguards Constitutionalism.”
- He said separation of powers forms the architecture of India’s constitutional order while judicial review functions as its heartbeat under Articles 32 and 226.
- He argued the collegium system substantially preserves judicial autonomy, pointing to the judiciary’s leading role in appointments to the Supreme Court and High Courts.
- He cited case examples—including Tata Steel v. Atma Tube Products, references in the Lakhimpur Kheri matter, and his order for a probe into alleged Assam fake encounter killings—to illustrate expansion of victims’ rights.
- He stressed that courts draw authority from public trust grounded in fairness and restraint, and he urged continued dialogue between the Indian and Sri Lankan judiciaries.